Kismet
by rem was here
Summary: AU. She hates men with passion. He toys with women and throws them around as if they were rag dolls. Unfortunately, they're bound to tolerate each other despite their reservations. After all, she was his mother's employee and he was the son of her boss.
1. I

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**KISMET  
**_By: Rem was here  
_**Chapter I**

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**DISCLAIMER: **Higuchi-sensei owns Gakuen Alice. Not me. Not you. Not anyone else.

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_**IMPORTANT MUST-READ:**_

◦◊◦ _This is a __**rewrite**__ so expect a couple of __**major **__changes.  
_◦◊◦ _Despite its summary [which sounds too Natsume-centric], this is a __**Mikan-centric **__story so expect that most [if not all] of the story will be told in Mikan's perspective  
_◦◊◦ _If you really __must__ know the reason for this rewrite or if you want to read the old version of this story, PM me because I'm not going to explain much in my author's notes.  
_◦◊◦ _Read and enjoy. Drop a review if you deem my story worthy. Criticize if necessary. However, kindly refrain from giving me 'update soon' reviews. I'd rather receive nothing._

_**[I M-R end]**_

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Sickening.

That's the first word that presented itself in my mind as I approach two people who were too _engrossed_ in the act of sucking each other's faces to notice me coming towards them with an expression of complete distaste.

"Excuse me," I call out as I try to get their attention. However, instead of acknowledging me like I frustratingly wished for, they merely continue with their display - completely oblivious to my presence and current distress. Then, as if that wasn't bad enough, I also happen to notice the guy's hands creeping up from underneath his _acquaintance's_ blouse.

Upon seeing this, I almost snapped and ripped the two apart. But fortunately enough, I was somehow able to manage to conjure enough will to forcibly shut my eyes and count from 1 to 10 just so I could calm down and remove the sickening images of pure unadulterated lust from my disturbed mind. With that done, I open my eyes once again while sporting renewed determination in them.

"_Excuse me,"_ I call out again – this time in a _much_ louder voice.

Just as I was about to clear my throat for added emphasis, the two had finally become aware of my presence, causing them to temporarily halt their display – looking _slightly_ flushed. I almost snorted and rolled my eyes at this but fortunately, I was able to stop myself from doing so for if I had done that, I would probably get fired for _misconduct_. The manager had almost blown his top yesterday which most likely means that he's already getting really fed up with me. And although I'm usually very inquisitive of things around me, I really don't want to make myself a subject to an experiment where I can get fired in the process. Or in simpler terms, I don't want to risk it - especially now that I'm already on thin ice.

"I am sorry for disturbing you, Sayuri, okyaku-san_[1]_. But I had to do that in order to catch your attention" I deadpan. In response to this, I could catch a glimpse of Sayuri, my _favorite_ co-worker, barring her fangs at me. I, however, merely continue to look at them passively, not feeling the least bit threatened. After all, there was nothing that she could actually do against me. During the short time I've known her, I've come to learn that she could only glare and throw childish insults – acts that don't deal much damage, if any, at all. The most she can probably do is to tattle on me for some _'rude act'_ that I've done to the boss – something which I'm admittedly wary of. Nonetheless, I doubt that she could present him an actual evidence of that so I can't really be threatened.

"That's fine, _babe,"_ the guy drawls while flashing me a grin that was probably meant to be flirtatious. Once again, I fight the urge to roll my eyes and gag right on the spot. Tch. Men like him really are hopeless. Just a while ago, he had only been 3 steps short from fucking Sayuri on the table and now he's trying to pick _me_ up? Not to mention that he's also doing it in front of the aforementioned woman. Oh that is so predictable. Honestly, guys like him need to be taught some decency OR if that's too much to ask, they should at least be taught to distinguish the decent from the not. Oh, and speaking of decency, I can feel an _extremely_ caustic glare of someone who clearly lacks it. Now I feel really threatened. I'm cowering in these awful heels…

"What do you want, Sakura?" Sayuri suddenly spat in a shrill voice, thus breaking my train of mental sarcasm.

"Here is your order sir," I merely say stoically, ignoring Sayuri completely, before setting down the tray that I was carrying and setting its contents on the table. As I was doing so, I could still feel both of their gazes at me but I merely continue to ignore. After all, the sooner I get done with this, the better.

"If that is all sir, I would like to take my leave now," I say with a bow after finally finishing my job of setting the table. However, just as I took a turn, a hand suddenly shoots out from behind me – capturing my wrist – thus preventing me from walking away and returning to my previous work in the counter.

"Don't leave yet, _babe_. Why don't you stay with _me_ for a while? I know that you're wanting some _private time _with me as well."

Upon hearing those repulsive and grammatically incorrect choice of words, I couldn't stop myself from gritting my teeth and clenching my fists in frustration. However, knowing that one wrong act could cause me to lose my job – especially with the mossy-eyed Sayuri waiting for me to commit the most minor of mistakes – I force myself to smile amidst my boiling temper.

"Okyaku-san, I apologize but I really cannot stay here. I have spent too much of my time here already." I say, albeit stiffly, as I try to _gently_ peel his hands from my wrist. "I have other duties that I need to attend to."

"Bullshit," he spits out rather viciously while forcefully pulling me towards him – causing me to stumble a little. "Stop playing so hard-to-get and sit down already."

Completely offended and angered by his brash words and actions, I move to slap his hand away and speak my mind but another hand suddenly creeps up my shoulder, thereby momentarily distracting me and stopping me from lashing out impulsively.

"Don't touch her, punk. She's mine."

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_Who is the mystery man [and yes. He's male… or so does the authoress think] that saved Mikan? Has Mikan finally become a man-hating homo? Who the hell is Sayuri slut and why is she even in this story? Heck, why do I even care?_

_Tune in next chapter of 'Not Just a Toy' for answers and even more befuddling and sickeningly annoying and irrelevant questions._

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_END NOTES:_

_Brief explanation of terms used:_

_[1]Okyaku – a Japanese word which means 'guest.' Although I wanted to put the least amount of Japanese words in this fic, I just couldn't find the best substitute for this. In my previous version, I had used 'customer-san' but it didn't sound appropriate. And so, I decided that it'd be best if I stick with 'okyaku' _

_Till then!_

_XOXO_

◦:◦.Lian.◦:◦


	2. II

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**KISMET  
**_By: Rem was here  
_**Chapter II**

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**Previously on Kismet:**

"_Bullshit," the male customer spits out rather viciously while forcefully pulling me towards him – causing me to stumble a little. "Stop acting so hard-to-get and sit down already."_

_Completely offended and angered by his brash words and actions, I move to slap his hand away and speak my mind but another hand suddenly creeps up my shoulder, thereby momentarily distracting me and stopping me from lashing out impulsively._

"_Don't touch her, punk. She's mine."_

[So just who is this mystery guy who just stated his claim on our dear man-hating Mikan? Continue reading to find out.]

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With those words said, the stranger immediately removes the customer's hands from my wrist and begins to drag me away from the table.

For a moment, I could only follow him dully – dazed by everything that had just transpired – but, upon finally getting over my state of initial shock, I attempt to push him away. However, as I begin to do so, he unexpectedly tilts his head towards my direction, thus giving me a good view of his facial features which in effect threw all my thoughts of giving him a painful kick in the gut out the window.

"So how was that, Ochibi _[1]_? Did I look cool enough?" he says all of a sudden causing me to immediately shut my mouth which I had apparently left open.

"You're not supposed to be here. You know that I don't want you here," I whisper with a frown, not bothering to answer his previous questions.

"What can I say? I'm just plain stubborn," he says with a grin and a shrug of his shoulders. "Besides, I want to watch over you."

"I don't need you to do that," I reply quite stoically as I remove his hold on me and start walking in big strides towards the bar counter. "I can take care of myself. I'm not a little girl anymore."

"You aren't?" he says teasingly, earning him a menacing glare from me.

"Oh come on, Mi-chan. Aren't you going to thank me at least? I did save you the trouble of having to deal with that guy yourself after all."

With a sigh, I stopped walking and turned with a sigh.

"Fine," I mutter. "Thank you, then… Now could you leave?" I finish while looking at him with slight annoyance.

"A more heartfelt word of gratitude would be better appreciated."

I shoot him a dirty look as I prepare myself to give him a short berating but as I move to part my lips and do just that, he cuts me off by speaking first.

"You know what? Why don't I invite Tsubasa here as well. I'm sure that your cousin would love to go to this place," he muses to himself as he brings out his cell phone and dials Tsubasa-nii's number. Just as he brings it to his ear, I grab him by his arm and give him a warning look but he doesn't even glance at me. Because of that, I move to snatch the phone away from his hand. Unfortunately, because of the height difference, I was unable to do so. Then, just as I was about to conjure a plan in order to snatch the phone away from him, I suddenly hear my cousin's voice on the other end, causing me to feel a sharp sense of panic which I had expressed by tightening my hold on my offender's arm.

With that, he finally diverts his attention towards me before returning his full attention to his call.

"Oh sorry, man. I dialed the wrong number. I was supposed to ask Sheila out," he says with a chuckle, earning him an annoyed response from my cousin. And as they say their goodbyes, I finally release my grip on him.

"Now do I get my thank you?" he asks with a smirk and an expectant look as he puts an arm around on my shoulder.

For a moment, I could only stare at his arm incredulously, unable to believe how thick-skinned he can be. But upon getting over my disbelief, I immediately swat his hand away.

"You out of people should know that I hate being manipulated the most, Tono-nii," I say in almost inaudibly before shoving his arm away and striding towards the counter, not bothering to look back amidst all of his calls.

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"Mikan-chan?"

"Yes?" I ask as I turn to a red haired woman who was currently sporting a concerned look on her face.

"I don't want to sound nosy but… aren't you going to forgive your boyfriend? He's been here for almost 2 hours."

My initial reaction was to give her a bewildered stare before I finally got to realize that she was referring to Tono-nii.

"He isn't my boyfriend, Ayame-san," I say with a frown. "He's the best friend of my older cousin."

"Right," she replies in a dismissive tone, obviously not believing what I just said. "Don't you feel at least a tad bit sympathetic towards him, though? He's been apologizing to you nonstop even though he's already dead drunk."

Once again, I see concern flashing through her gray orbs as she turns towards the direction of the groans that have been plaguing me for the past two hours, thereby making me look towards the same direction. And as I do so, I can't help but feel a twinge of sympathy towards the guy as well.

"Fine," I mutter. "I'll be right back."

From the corner of my eyes, I can see a smile forming on her face.

"Sure thing, Mikan-chan. I'll cover for you. Now go and resolve your little spat with your boyfriend," she encouragingly says, making me frown in return.

"But he's not–" I begin to dispute but she cuts me off with a halting gesture.

"Go before the boss comes back."

Upon hearing that, I immediately felt the urgency of the situation.

"I'll be right back," I say hurriedly. "I'll just bring him to his car."

And with that, I left in a rush, leaving my smiling coworker behind.

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"Tono-nii," I call out softly as I place a hand on his slouched shoulder, making him turn sluggishly towards my direction.

"Amazing... A real angel," he mutters in his dazed state, causing me to roll my eyes in return.

"I'm Mikan, not an angel, you womanizer," I say in slight annoyance as I hoist him by the shoulder. "If you don't stop with your irritating wooing, I swear that I won't hesitate to hit you in the face."

Upon saying those words, I could feel his strong gaze on me. Then, before I even managed to tell him to cut it out, he suddenly throws all of his weight on me without warning as he encases me with a hug – almost throwing both of us over.

"Mi-chan!" he exclaims in a giddy slur as he begins to cuddle me. "You finally forgave me."

"Damn it," I curse out in reply as I continue exerting effort to balance both of us. "If you don't remove your weight on me at this instant, I really won't forgive you."

At those words, he abruptly relinquishes his hold on me – or at least tried to. After all, he's almost completely intoxicated. The most that he was able to do was to clumsily remove his hug and lean less weight on me. Nonetheless, I let out a sigh of relief as soon as the burden on my shoulder lessened.

"You really do have the knack of causing me trouble, don't you?" I mutter while trying to shift his weight a little, earning a mere grunt from the said man.

I sighed.

"But then again, everything that I've done up until now still can't compensate for what you did for me before," I mutter with a sigh before dragging the semiconscious man towards the exit.

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_It was raining. I couldn't see it but I could feel the water soaking my clothes and hitting my skin. I was cold. If I went on like this, I'd probably catch a severe case of pneumonia but I couldn't bring myself to fret about it. On the contrary, I bet it's better if I do catch a serious disease like that. Because if I do, all of this might finally come to an end. Everything-_

"_Mikan? Ochibi is that you?" a familiar voice calls out from a distance but I didn't make an effort to look up._

_Then I heard soft footsteps and in a split second, the raindrops stopped hitting my skin and I was lifted from my sitting position and came to face a man's chest._

"_It is you!" he exclaims. "Wait. What happened to you, ochibi?" he continued as I vaguely registered the movement of his hands on my chin and forehead as well as a slight shake of my shoulders._

_What met him though was a blank stare._

_Then, before I knew it, he had carried me into his arms. I could remember the distinct scent of alcohol and cigarette smoke pervading my nostrils before everything suddenly went pitch black. _

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"You just had to park your car this far, didn't you?" I mutter exasperatedly as I set Tono-nii beside his car.

"Tono-nii," I call out. "Come on. Wake up."

"I need to find your car keys," I continue trying to wake him up while lightly slapping his cheek. My efforts, however, were merely met by a slight shift of his fingers and a soft groan.

Giving up on making an effort to wake the drunk man, I bite back a string of curses before looking for his keys myself.

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"_Damn it. Where did I put those damn keys?" someone says on an aggravated tone. I lift my eyelids to check what was happening._

"_Tono-nii?" I whisper as I stare at the face of the disgruntled man who I was currently leaning on to._

"_Mikan!" he bursts out immediately while tilting his head towards my direction and looking at me with that worried expression of his. "You… you're awake! Are you cold? Um. don't worry. You can take a bath as-"_

"_Please put me down," I merely mutter, cutting off his rant immediately. _

"_Are you sure? Aren't you still weak? You've been-"_

"_I'm fine, Tono-nii," I say more resolutely. "I can stand on my own."_

_He stares at me for a moment, seemingly unbelieving of what I just said before he finally bent his knees and released my legs. In return, I mutter a soft thank you and untwine my arms from his neck. _

_As he continued to fumble for his keys, I merely observe him and my surroundings._

"_Have you checked your breast pocket?"_

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"Some things just don't change," I whisper with a wistful smile as I return Tono-nii's keys to his breast pocket and write a note. Then, with one last look, I leave the note on his lap and lock the door.

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"Where the hell is that woman?" a man hisses vehemently with venom lacing his tone just as I was about to turn to the corner leading to the bar. Upon hearing this voice, though, I could only stay rooted on my spot, unable to face my visibly fuming boss. I may be brave but I'm not stupid enough to go and show my face to him when he's this furious. He'll fire me for sure without even sparing a single thought.

"She... She's serving some customers, I-"

"Don't lie to me! I've checked and she was nowhere to be found." He exclaims. "Now tell me where she really is. If you lie again, I won't hesitate to fire you with her."

By now, Ayame-san was already trembling terribly. Even from a distance, the quaking of her shoulders was evident along with the look of fear in her eyes. Upon seeing this, I knew that if I continue to hide, I would only aggravate the situation and Ayame-san would also end up losing her job.

And so, gathering up the courage to accept my abrupt dismissal from my current job, I take a deep breath and move towards the direction of my boss. However, before I could even take a step, someone bumps me from behind, causing me to come crashing to the floor.

"Oww..." I say with a wince as I rub my hurting knee – momentarily forgetting the situation I was in. But just as I was about to whip my head and lash out at my insensitive offender, a booming voice returns me back to reality and restores my feeling of trepidation.

"SAKURA!"

Before I could even blink, I was abruptly yanked by my arm and was made to face my enraged boss.

"Where the hell have you been, you stupid wench?" he viciously spat at me with a livid glare.

"Um..." I stutter while trying to form a coherent and believable response. But it was slowly becoming impossible for me to do so. Being subjected under pressure has never boded good results for me after all.

"Spit it out or I'm going to hurl you out this building without a second thought."

And I've never been able to lie with a straight face.

Upon realizing that, I could only wince and avoid the gaze of my furious boss while mentally cursing myself for being so careless. I should have known that this would happen and I should have made the necessary steps to avoid this. Now I'd probably have to find another job tomorrow night. And if I'm unlucky, I'll continue looking for one for the next days to follow. But maybe that's not so bad. At least I won't get constantly harassed anymore. Yeah, that's right –

A hand suddenly rested on my shoulder and pulled me back – away from my enraged boss. And before I could even comprehend what was happening, I was already facing the back of blond guy who was currently bowing to my boss.

"N-Nogi-san... what are you-"

"Please don't reprimand her, Takahashi-san. It should be I receiving your scolding. I had asked for her company without your permission after all," the person addressed as Nogi-san says, still with body bent in apology.

"O-of course I couldn't do that," my boss continues to stutter while gesturing that he was unwilling to give the guy any form of punish.

"Then," the guy continues, finally raising his head to look at my boss. "Could you please excuse her behavior as well?" he asks as he gently grabs me by the shoulders for the second time and positions me by his side.

"I-I'm sorry but this we – the girl deserves some scolding. She-"

"I'm willing to compensate," he says with a straight face.

"That. That isn't necessary, Nogi-san. You don't need to burden yourself with a tramp like her."

Upon hearing that comment, I felt a sudden tumult of indignation but I merely grit my teeth to stop myself from spurting out any acrid comment. As much as I hated the sexist guy, I badly needed to keep the job.

"I won't tell Natsume," the blond beside me blurts out in an icy tone, making me stare at him in slight surprise, momentarily forgetting about my resentment towards my boss.

Immediately, the boss begins to gesture that he did not mean it that way and continued to claim that he merely wants to discipline his employees but the blond's eyes remained hardened.

"How much do you need?"

For a moment, the boss merely gapes at him and rejects his implications but when he as soon as he takes out his wallet, the Mr. Takahashi immediately stops speaking and begins to eye the wallet, then our surroundings, as if having a mental debate with himself.

"7000."

And with that, the stranger takes out a wad of bills from his wallet at hands it to the unbelievable man before steering me away.

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I was stunned. I had just been on the verge of getting fired but then this blond stranger suddenly shows up and saves me from all that in an even more unbelievable feat of shelving out cash for me – someone who he doesn't even know.

"Are you alright, miss?" the blond guy asks as he peers at my face with what seemed to be like an expression of concern, cutting off my current thoughts.

For a moment, I could only blink at him, unable to string any coherent sentence in my mind.

"Yeah," I mutter unintelligibly, refusing to meet his gaze.

"That's good," he says in a pleased tone while smiling at me, catching me off-guard and causing me to forget my next sentence for a split-second.

"I... I'll pay you back as soon as I get my salary next week."

"Don't worry about it. It's nothing."

Then, before I could stop myself, I had suddenly blurted out the initial concern that presented itself into my mind.

"I'm not going to sleep with you!"

For a moment, he could only gape at me with wide eyes, obviously taken aback from what I had just shrieked – making me regret and chastise myself for being unable to censor my outburst. Then, before I could deliver another mental kick to myself, he, to my utter chagrin, started to laugh – loud. And as I watch him do just so, I couldn't stop myself from flushing because of embarrassment.

It took a minute or so before he finally calmed down. And when he finally did, I was already past embarrassment and was bordering on livid.

"I..." he started, still trying to muffle his laughter before staring at me with what seemed like sincerity. "I apologize. It's just... I wasn't quite expecting you to say _that_."

He was now grinning at me, causing me to become more irritated.

"Excuse me for being irrational," I say with a glare. "If you don't need anything, then I'll take my leave. And don't worry about the money. As I've already said I'll pay you as soon as I get my salary."

I spun around and started to trudge back to the bar counter but a hand suddenly grabs my shoulders and halts me from doing so. So once again, I ended up staring irately at the blond stranger who continued to don an amused look on his face.

"Hey, I really am sorry. I did not mean to embarrass you, miss. I was just merely thrown off-guard by your previous comment. Please don't be bothered about the money either. I simply wanted to lend you a hand."

"Don't expect me to believe that kind of talk. I'm not some stupid girl that you can make a fool of. What do you really want out of this?" I lashed out bluntly. After all, it was highly unlikely for someone to do a favor such as that (not to mention in a place like this) without expecting something in return. Everything he has done up until now must have all been a plot to catch me off guard.

For a moment, disbelief and indignation were sketched on his features. But then, he suddenly pinches the bridge of his nose and heaves a sigh.

"It's probably futile for me to continue convincing you but I really don't have any ulterior motive for my actions. If it really does make you feel better about this situation, you may pay me back."

Mildly taken aback by his words and by how earnest he was while saying them, it took me a moment to think of something appropriate that I could say. And before I could even voice out my reply to the blond stranger in front of me, someone else interrupts.

"Hey Luca," came a voice from behind him, causing both of us to turn towards its direction.

"What is it? Are we leaving now?" the blond before me asks while I squint my eyes towards the direction of the new voice which sounds oddly familiar.

"What are you talking about? We just got here. I was... IT'S YOU!"

● _**. , . ◦ εïз ◦' ' ' ●**_

_Looks like Mikan and Tono share a deeply rooted relationship… Just exactly what kind of past did they share? Speaking of pasts, what past does Mikan and Natsume have? When will the other details be revealed? Will this fanfiction turn out to be some sort of pedophile love story? Some whacked love polygon? Or just one generic cheesy and just plain boring love story?_

_For answers and even more questions, tune in to the next chapter of 'Not Just a Toy'!_

● **. , . ◦ εïз ◦' ' ' ●**

_END NOTES:_

_A short explanation of things:_

_[1]Ochibi – synonymous to 'shorty'; pet name that Tono often calls Mikan in this fanfiction (along with Mi-chan)_

_I know that you guys must be thoroughly annoyed at me by now. After all, I was unable to update for almost a _year. _I doubt that any of you would be interested in my life story but yeah. I had to resolve personal issues last year. My life had been really monotonous just a few months ago and it made me undergo sporadic onslaughts of depression. And when I did finally get out of that rut, I became busy with school, drawing, and socializing. Those and my constant addiction to the internet as well._

_As I've said before though, I wish to finish this story of mine. It's the first time I've ever been able to create a plotline such as this so I'd really like to see through it 'til the end._

_Wishing that you'd never tire of her and her stories,_

◦:◦.Lian.◦:◦

_SIDENOTE:_

**TAKEN FROM (ELOOK . ORG) :  
-Review (noun): an essay or article that gives a critical evaluation (as of a book or play)**

And so, if you're only going to leave a 'review' which merely states "update soon," I suggest that you stop because what you'll be leaving isn't even a review in the simplest definition of the word and it will save both of us the trouble. Thank you.


	3. III

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**KISMET  
**_By: Rem was here  
_**Chapter III**

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**Previously on Kismet:**

_"Hey Luca," came a voice from behind him, causing both of us to turn towards its direction._

_"What is it? Are we leaving now?" the blond before me asks while I squint my eyes towards the direction of the new voice which sounds oddly familiar._

_"What are you talking about? We just got here. I was... IT'S YOU!"_

[Thus, with those words said, Natsume Hyuuga finally makes his appearance.]

● **. , . ◦ εïз ◦' ' ' ●**

Once again, for the nth time tonight, I was at a loss for words.

"Y-you," I mutter unintelligibly as I continued to gape at the newcomer with wide eyes. Those crimson eyes. It's..._ him._

"This can't be happening," I groaned out while burying my face in my palm in the hopes of waking up to an alternate universe where all of this is merely an illusion made to torture me.

"Tch. Do you seriously think that by doing that, you'd be able to change this whole fucking situation?" the demon spat out irately causing me to finally remove my hand from my face and glare at him.

"Mind your own business," I hiss in matching annoyance before turning my back on him and stomping off so that I'll be rid of his exasperating presence. I should have known though that I was only getting ahead of myself by thinking that it was possible for me to escape so easily.

"Let go of me," I mutter through gritted teeth as I violently tug my hand out of my captor's tight hold without bothering to turn around to check who it was since his identity was already blatantly obvious.

When the hand that was latched on to my wrist did not loosen, I tug my hand more forcefully. Despite doing so, however, his hold on me remained firm.

"What the hell do you want?" I spat out in complete aggravation as I finally turn towards my captor and glower at him menacingly.

"You're not in any position to talk to me like that, little girl," he says darkly while glaring at me as well.

I only snort at him in response before turning towards him with the most fake smile that I could muster.

"Oh, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to be so rude. Now could you please release me so that I can go back to finally doing something productive, sir?" I ask in a sickeningly sweet tone which complimented my far from genuine smile.

"And what might that productive action be? Pouring alcohol onto customers' heads?" he drawled in reply using a tone of disinterest. His eyes, however, did not match his nonchalant tone. They were livid.

"Of course not," I say with a scoff – momentarily dropping my sweet tone. "I only do that to class A assholes like that guy I served on the bar I previously worked at."

"Why you." he mutters in a dangerous tone as he glares more intensely.

"Oh. Why are you making such a scary face, sir? You didn't think that I was referring to you, did you?" I asked, feigning innocence.

"Of course not," he says darkly as he pulls me forcefully pulls me closer to him. "You should be careful of those assholes though. You might get fired again because of one of them."

My eyes widen and I start to gape at him. He's... he's

"Natsume, stop it," someone else interrupts, thereby stopping the onslaught of curses that I had almost blurted out.

I move to stare at the blond who I had momentarily forgotten and felt a sudden surge of gratitude. However, the feeling was gone as fast as it came as something clicked in my head.

"The two of you know each other."

It wasn't a question. It was a statement.

"Brilliant observation. I always knew that you were sharp."

"What is this?" I mutter, ignoring the sarcastic jibe that was thrown at me, before glaring at both of them.

"What are the two of you planning?" I say darkly, finally showing how aggravated I really was. I was however merely met by a pair of what seemed like genuinely confused eyes and another sneer.

"You think that the whole world revolves around you don't you – hey!" the asshole starts off with a roll of the eyes but was cut off when his friend jabbed him on the ribs and directed a stern look towards him.

"Natsume, enough," he said in a warning tone. I expected the jerk to retaliate, of course but much to my surprise, merely glared at me instead, muttering a gruff "fine" and mouthing what seemed to be something like "Don't think I've left you off so easily," before stalking off without even showing any sign of distaste towards the other male that we were with.

"Sorry about that. Natsume can really be rather childish when he wants to."

I couldn't help but scoff at his words.

"Then, the innate fear of having your own children and taking care of them, which all you men possess, must have been amplified after spending so much time with that spoilt… thing," I mutter, unable to stop myself from commenting.

Much to my surprise, the blond guy laughs boisterously.

"I…" he says as he finally tries to catch his breath after his long laugh. "You truly are an interesting person, miss. I haven't laughed this much in one night for quite a while. It's really rare to find a female speak who speaks ill of Natsume – save for his sister and cousin, of course. Everyone else, who isn't his family, seems to be too infatuated with him."

For a moment, I could only regard him as if he were lying – or crazy.

"That guy… that asshole… actually attracts women?" I couldn't help but ask rhetorically in utter disbelief, unable to grapple with the fact that a flirtatious bastard such as him can gain the attention of females. Admittedly, he does have pretty good facial features but I thought that his attitude was atrocious enough to keep females away. For sure, I wouldn't feel the slightest bit of attraction towards him – even if I wasn't so hostile towards men.

Then, like a ton of bricks, a thought suddenly hit me.

"I should be going now," I suddenly say in a clipped tone upon realizing that I was actually enjoying conversing with a male who also appeared to be a close friend of a perverted bastard. His being a man already gives me enough reason to steer clear away from him. His being a friend of the type of guy who all women should avoid therefore adds an incredible amount to the wariness meter.

Without any additional word, I turn my back on him and proceed towards the counter.

"Ah wait," he says few seconds later, causing me to freeze me on my spot for a second or so. However, as the moment of panic dissipated, I forced myself to move once again at an even faster pace, determined not to let him catch me. Before I could even reach halfway towards the bar counter though, I was halted on my tracks by a firm grip on my upper arm.

"I'll escort you back," he says as he moves towards my side. In turn, I could not help but give him a sideways glance thereby causing me to notice the small smile he had on his face.

"I'm fine," I reply tersely while forcing myself not to look at him – fearing that doing so might compel me to listen to him and concede to his simple requests.

For a moment, he did not speak again and I suddenly felt a pang of worry that he may have been offended by my cold reply. However, I quickly caught myself on that thought and silently berated myself for feeling concerned about what my companion thought about me – reminding myself that I shouldn't be feel that way.

"Did I say or do something wrong again?" he asked in a tone that seemed to convey genuine confusion and distress, causing me to bite my lip at the gnawing guilt that I was starting to feel but once again I forcefully squash the feeling. There was no point in feeling remorse towards a potential threat.

"No you did not. However, I have enough reason to choose to distance myself from people the likes of you and your friend," I said in a tone that almost made _me_ wince. I honestly did not wish to sound as cold and haughty as I did. Unable to resist it, I glanced at the expression of the young man before me. Doing so, however, only made me feel worse because I can see the hurt in his expression. Either he was a really easy person to read or he was exceptional at faking his emotions. Either way, he was, without a doubt, making me feel gravely unsettled.

"Look," I continue while wondering if I'll regret this course of action later. "You have honestly been a great help tonight in letting me keep my job but that doesn't mean that I am comfortable to have you with me. Please do understand that while I truly am grateful for everything you have done so far, I also do not wish to be in your company any longer than needed. As I've promised, I _will_ pay back my debt so please do not feel compelled to stay with me longer than necessary."

After saying all of that, I let out a sigh that I did not even realize that I was holding. I had feared that I would once again come out harsher than necessary but surprisingly, I was able to air out my thoughts to him about our situation in a fairly civil manner and while I do realize that if the guy before me is truly as bad as his friend, my efforts to be civil to him would all be in vain. However, if that is indeed the case, at least I would not feel the guilt of also being in the wrong and end up loathing myself for giving in to the heat of the moment while loathing the way society works for undeserving people who were given the advantage of living in a privileged lifestyle.

For a moment, I had been so wrapped up in my own thoughts that I had once again forgotten that I was supposed to be waiting for a response from the man with me; he did a marvelous job of snapping me out of my stupor though as he grabbed me by the shoulder and turned me to face him. Surprised and wary of the gesture, I immediately open my mouth to voice my discomfort but was stopped from doing so by the look of hurt that continued to grace his expression.

"I apologize. I did not realize that my presence alone was giving you discomfort. I honestly thought that you were just offended earlier. I didn't -" he began but halted when a ring started to resound from his jeans.

"Aren't you going to get that?" I asked, trying to sound casual while pointing at his jeans pocket – hoping that he would indeed get the phone. Initially, he looked reluctant to take the call but after I called him out on it, he finally got it and excused himself while asking me to wait for him momentarily. Once he finally turned around and disappeared in the crowd, I immediately side stepped towards the nearest wall and slumped on it.

This situation is unnerving. _He _is unnerving. If I were to be honest with myself, I actually would have preferred him to snap at me just so he can prove me right into believing that all men truly are despicable beings. Even my little brother, despite not being as bad as most males, has his moments. The boy can real imp when he wishes to act like one, after all. But no. Instead of proving me right, he kept on acting chivalrous and understanding – two things that I _knew_ men are _not._

Briefly, I found myself wondering if running away can solve my messed up situtaion but I dismiss the thought as quickly as it came. Doing so never solved any situation. It was what brought me into my current state after all.

I sighed and looked at the clock near the counter while smiling at Ayame-san slightly out of politeness. He was taking too –

"Hey bitch."

Immediately recognizing the voice, I turned a sharp glare at the direction from which it came from.

"You really have no manners, do you?" I snap albeit the venom in my voice was kept low as opposed to that of our first meeting tonight. I was exhausted – not just physically but mentally as well. Mulling over my life was definitely taking a toll on me and was making me remember the reasons as to why I always kept myself busy in the first place – aside from the fact that I really needed the money, of course.

Much to my surprise, he only 'tch'ed' and grumbled that he didn't come for another verbal sparring with me this time.

I raise an eyebrow at this.

"Why are you here then?" I ask as I finally moved to straighten myself and give him my full attention. As much as I hated him, it was only proper to show a fair amount of respect to someone who shows civility.

"Luca asked me to tell you that he has to leave," he began and I noticed the look of suspicion lacing his expression. Before I could question him about it, however, he talked again.

"What the hell did you do to him?" he nearly snarled.

I merely snorted in response. "And you think that _I_ believe that the world revolves around me," I say before letting out a dry laugh. "Well I'm sorry _sir_ but the world does not revolve around you nor your friend either."

This time, he did snarl.

"I meant it when I said that I did not come here to play word games with you, little girl."

"And I meant it when I said that I only give assholes what they deserve."

Before I knew it, both my wrists were caged in his warm hands and I could feel his hot puffs of breath on my right ear.

"Unhand me!" I snap as I tried to struggle out of his hold. Instead of loosening his hold, however, the jerk pinned me to the wall further.

"I'm not going to ask again. What the hell did you do to him?" he snapped back, his voice dangerously low.

"I did nothing. Or at least nothing that you seem to be insinuating," I said as I continued to struggle "He and I just talked."

"Oh? And what does this _talk _entail? Weaving him in your little ploy? Seducing him into compliance?"

If his voice had been livid before, now it was most definitely murderous. If I, myself, did not harbor utter distaste for him, I probably would have felt more fearful for my condition but granted that I was also disliked him with much passion, I merely stopped struggling under his hold as a precaution.

"I have never once doubted that you had a demeaning outlook on women but I didn't expect that you also looked down on your friend," I reply with an even tone. In response to my reply, there was a flash of surprise that flitted my captor's features and for a brief moment, he had loosened his hold on me a little though still not by a substantial amount.

"What do you mean?" he snarled yet again, his hold on me tightening more than before. Undoubtedly, it hurt and I couldn't stop myself from flinching but I did my best to maintain an even stare despite the pain.

"I just meant that you should trust your friend more. Do you seriously think that he's the type who would give in to a simple feat of seduction?"

This time, it was his turn to surprise me.

"No," he said simply although the conviction in the single word can be felt most thoroughly. "That is why I can't trust you."

I didn't know whether I should raise an eyebrow on this or question him further on what he meant. In he end, I merely settled for a sigh.

"Look, I'm tired," I started. As soon as those words went out my mouth, I could feel the exhaustion crash down my body. "And I would appreciate it if you could stop manhandling me so I can explain things properly."

He didn't say anything and merely eyed me with suspicion but I could tell from the way that he loosened his hold on me a little that he was considering it.

"It's difficult to explain things when you're too close. If you won't unhand me, at least move back a little."

That did the trick; I could finally feel the blood rush through my palms once again.

"Don't try to do anything stupid."

I rolled my eyes at that while scoffing "_You're _telling _me,_" which of course only served to rile him up further if the snarl on his face was any indication. He did, however, continue to keep his distance.

"Anyway," I began as I massaged my left wrist. "I was telling the truth earlier. Your friend and I really just talked."

"And let me ask again. What did your talk _entail_?"

I could feel the starting onslaught of a headache.

"Do you seriously think that I'd seduce your friend after the treatment I've given you in the previous bar I worked at?"

He was now looming closer to me although he continued to keep his hands to himself.

"And if I said yes?"

"Then you're as daft as I assumed you to be," I said with a roll of my eyes. "Has it ever occurred to you that I do not enjoy the company of males like you?"

"Oh but how about men like Luca?"

Now he was once again dangerously close and while he wasn't touching me, I could already feel the heat emanating from him. I stepped back to give myself some space and my back hit the wall in the process. Damn.

"Running away?" he asked a mocking smirk which made me want to punch his face but stopped myself from even entertaining the idea. This night was already full of drama as is. I didn't add to add more to it.

"Of course not. I'm just trying to regain the space I asked of you previously which you have taken away once again. And to answer your question, I honestly do not see why I should lump your friend differently from you."

I really should have began to plan my escape earlier.

"And why is that?" he asked as he once again as he caged me for the second time tonight – both of his arms surrounding him – his right hand placed near my waist while his left hand and forearm were placed near my head. Once again I could feel his hot breath on my right ear and if possible, I felt more dread than before.

"Well aren't all m-"

I squeaked and pushed him away instantly before cradling him left ear. H-how… HOW DARE HE!

In turn, he moved away – a smirk gracing his features, as I stared at him in a mixture of shock and apprehension.

"YOU! You b-bit me!" I shrieked, not even minding the attention that we were getting.

"That was a bite?" he asked rhetorically. "That was simply a _taste_ of a bite, little girl. Want me to show you what a real bite is like?"

Immediately, I stepped back in recoil only to remind myself that I had to find another means of escape. But just as I my eyes darted to the side, the smirking demon had caught me by my shoulder.

"Don't think I'm going to let you go that easily."

Completely forgetting all the reserve that I had earlier and my apprehension against causing more drama for the night, I did not hesitate to elbow him on the chest. Hard.

I got immediate results on that and he doubled over in pain – the wind momentarily knocked out of his system. Taking this as my cue for escape, I immediately started towards the direction of the bar counter only to come face to face with my furious boss. I cringe.

"T-Takahashi-san," I muttered weakly before glancing briefly at the man behind me who finally managed to get his footing back. It was then that I noticed that we had garnered a considerable amount of attention from other customers and fellow workers. I bit back another cringe before gulping. Damn. Now I'll really lose my job tonight.

"I… I can explain," I say weakly as I stare at my boss with pleading eyes.

"Do that in my office," he says stonily; clearly that he was giving me no room for any kind of objection.

Resigning myself to my fate, I moved to follow him but was halted by a firm grip on my arm.

"Hey old man. Don't tell me that I have no say in this place anymore."

I stared at him with wide eyes. Just what the hell was he thinking talking to the manager like that? I motioned to tell him just that but was not able to do so because the aforementioned manager had cut me off.

"Natsume-sama! I did not realize that that was you," he said frantically before making a deep bow towards our direction. "I am really sorry for interrupting."

The demon beside me merely scoffed. "If you're sorry then leave the two of us alone."

"But she-"

"I said _leave._"

He did not shout. He did not even raise his voice yet the simple change in his tone he was able to send the older man careening towards his office – like a dog with its tail between its legs. To say that I was shocked by the recent turn of events was an understatement.

"What do you have on Takahashi-san?" I ask bluntly as soon as I had gotten over the initial disbelief of seeing my boss succumb to another person who was younger than him, no less, for the night.

"What do I have on him?" he asked in an almost rhetorical manner. For once, he only had confusion schooling his features.

"Yes. What do you have on him? If you seriously don't get that, are you _blackmailing _him?"

He looked stunned for a moment – his eyes widening considerably in what seemed to be pure confusion before he started to _guffaw_. In turn, I could only gape at him, completely at a loss as to why he found my insinuation amusing.

"You seriously think that I'm blackmailing that old geezer?" he asked incredulously, causing me to stop staring at him.

Annoyed, I huff at his gall to laugh at what I believed was a truly decent deduction of the current situation. He is indeed worse than his friend. The other male only made me feel silly. He, on the contrary, made me feel like an idiot. Condescending asshole.

Not wanting to be in his demeaning company any longer, I once again make my way towards the bar counter with as much grace as possible but was yanked by the sudden grip on my right wrist.

"Learn some respect, little girl. Don't turn your back on someone who's talking to you. Tch. To think that you've even told me that _I _have no manners."

I whirl around to face him in annoyance.

"I didn't realize we were still talking. Also, unhand me. How many times must I tell you that I do not enjoy being manhandled?"

"This is only your second time," he said nonchalantly, not making a move to remove his hand from my wrist. "Also, we were talking. You just made that farfetched insinuation that I was blackmailing that geezer, in case you've already forgotten."

I pulled my hand from him with as much force as I could muster but his grip on my wrist remained firm. From the corner of my eye, I could see his mouth twitching into that insufferable smirk once again.

"That's futile and you know it. If I were you, I'd stop struggling, little girl."

Instead of stopping, however, I continued to pull. He was way over his head if he thought that I would willingly submit to himself like that. However, just as I was about to pry my wrist from his hold using my left hand, he caught it with his other hand thereby rendering both of my wrists immovable yet again.

"You're testing my patience again."

"And you're testing mine. For the nth time, unhand me," I snarl. I was so close to yelling at him; I can feel the rage building up.

"No."

"Why you little son of a –"

"Now, now. Don't put my mother into this argument."

I roll my eyes.

"As if an asshole like you would care about his mother."

"Don't act as if you know me," he scoffed.

"Well I may not know you but I know what your kind is like," I spat.

"Care to enlighten me as to what you mean by _my kind_ then?"

"Psh. Don't act as if you know. All of you men are the same. You manipulative jerks!"

"That's a very strong statement coming from you considering that I can terminate your employment at this very moment."

My eyes widen at that moment. He wouldn't! Heck, he couldn't. He wasn't my boss, after all. I tell him exactly this but if possible, the smirk on his face starts to look more sinister.

"I own this place so I can do whatever damned thing I want."

"Y-you own this?" I splutter in complete disbelief. "I don't believe you! You're too young to own a bar."

"Oh but I do. Or at least my family does. Even so, what I say here goes and there's nothing you can do if I ask you to be removed from your position."

I gape at him for a moment, letting everything sink in before glaring at him with much distaste. "You're such an ass. I didn't even do anything to you tonight!"

"You elbowed me in the chest," he said rather nonchalantly.

"I only did that because you _bit_ me. Speaking of which, how dare you do that!" I shriek, feeling appalled as I remembered what he had done earlier.

"It was a nip," he said with a grin, making me feel more exasperated.

"God. I can't believe you're enjoying this you… you _prick_. First of all, a nip _is _a bite. Secondly, the point is that your disgusting teeth grazed my ear!"

"You mean like this?"

Immediately after he said that, he swopped down and captured the very same ear that he had bitten earlier. Almost at an instant, I move to swat his face while simultaneously protecting my ear from his dirty mouth but he was still holding both of my wrists tightly. Panicking, I thrashed again him but that only made him bite with more force before adding a lick to the outer shell of my ear. Just as I was about to protest and scream at his own ear, he took a quick step back.

"You look like you want more, little girl," he said smugly

He didn't know what hit him the second after.

Without a word, I left him crouching in the middle of the bar, with his hands on his groin, uttering colorful profanities under his breath.

Making a beeline for the bar counter – completely ignoring the looks and comments that the other people were throwing at me – I met Ayame-san who, by the looks of it, had also seen my exchange with the spoiled brat.

"Can you tell boss that I'm leaving early tonight?"

She merely stared at me.

"Ayame-san?"

"Ah! Umm… yeah, Mikan-chan. Sure thing!" she replied with a forced smile.

I smile back.

"By the way, I don't think I'll be returning."

This time, she looked at me with a genuine frown – concern evident in her features.

"But Mikan-chan…" she began but I stopped her with a wave of my hand.

"I'm sure that the boss wouldn't allow me to even step foot here after _this._" I say as I motion towards the man who was still writhing near the dance floor. That seemed to do the trick.

"I do have a favor to ask of you though. Would it be alright if I asked you to give this to that blond guy who helped me earlier?" I asked as I handed her a piece of paper.

Almost immediately, she perked up.

"Sure thing, Mikan-chan! Anything for you. I'll be sure to give it to that handsome boy when I see him again. Although I don't think your boyfriend will appreciate you giving out your number to strangers."

I grimace as I moved to get the shoulder bag I had left on the floor of the bar counter, feeling compelled to tell her once again that Tono-nii wasn't my boyfriend but decided against it. It wasn't as if the older girl ever listened to me anyway.

"I just need to pay him back for a favor he did tonight," I said instead. "Anyway, goodbye, Ayame-san. Take care of yourself." I continue as I give her a hug which she returned immediately.

"You too, Mikan-chan."

And with that, I left for home, feeling tired and annoyed of the wasted time I spent. I haven't even gotten my pay yet and I doubt that I'll be getting it given the current mess that I was in.

**● ****. , . ◦ εïз ◦' ' ' ●**

"You're early tonight," was the greeting I got as soon as I stepped into the car.

"I quit," I say plainly. After all, there was no point in sugarcoating the situation. "Actually, I think I'll stop working in bars completely," I continue, vaguely noticing the man beside me shifting gears and maneuvering his car out of the parking lot. He looked at me briefly after I said the last statement but diverted his attention back to the road. Or at least he did visually.

"What brought the sudden change, Ochibi?" he asked. After all, I had refused him when he asked for me to quit several times before but I never listened to him.

"Are you sure that you should be driving right now?" I ask in return, not wanting to answer his previous question.

"I'm pretty sober now," he replied. And as if to prove it, he promptly stopped when the light before us turned red.

"It didn't seem like that earlier. You drank too much again."

"Well it was your fault for ignoring me," he replied sulkily. Even if I wasn't looking at him, I just knew that he had sported his infamous pout.

"I ignored you because you were acting childish back then. Just like now."

That earned me a defeated sigh.

"Fine. I'll stop although I really wish that you'd at least tell me why you finally quit. I do worry about you, you know?"

I could not help but smile at that.

"I know, Tono-nii" I say fondly. "But really. It's nothing to worry about. It's just that I finally got tired of working in that kind of setting. It's pretty exhausting, after all."

I think that being bitten twice and having to kick a person in the nuts are enough signs for me to quit, I add mentally although I do not voice it out. Doing so will certainly put the male beside me on alert and cause him to question me nonstop; and I surely did not have the energy for his questioning.

"You're hiding a lot of things from me, aren't you?" he said skeptically, making me sigh. I should have known that he wouldn't be satisfied with such a simple reply.

"Come on, Tono-nii. I'm tired. Can we save all the details for another time?" I ask tiredly as we finally came to a stop in front of my apartment.

"Fine but don't forget that you owe me a story," he says as he reaches out across the seat to give me a hug which I readily gave back.

"I know. Anyway, take care now, alright? Make sure that you don't end up busting some street light," I joke into the hug with a grin.

"Hey! That happened only once," he says defensively as he finally releases me, causing me to chuckle a bit.

"Once is enough proof of how awful you can be when you're drunk and driving, Tono-nii," I continue to tease. "Anyway, I have to go and see if my little brother is still up."

And with that, we said our final goodbyes as I left for our apartment. As always, he did not leave until I reached our apartment unit and I had to wave at him to signal that I was already in front of our door before he was finally willing to leave. Shaking my head, I placed the key which I fished out of one of the pockets in my bag into the keyhole and twisted it before twisting the doorknob right after. What met me on the other side of the door made me gasp instantly.

"Stop staring at me like that. It makes you look uglier," comments the midget in front of me as he stares at me nonchalantly with his big teal eyes. I sigh. It's such a shame that a boy as cute as him had such a dirty mouth.

"Don't tell me that you've stayed up just so you can wait for me to scrub your mouth with soap," I reply as I enter our apartment and remove my shoes by the door.

I was awarded with a scoff. "You think _I _need to clean my mouth. If that's the case then you need bleach in yours."

"Oh please. I wasn't as bad as you when I was your age."

"Well you didn't have yourself for a sister, did you?"

I momentarily glance at the child before me who was now flipping through his manga with a look of disinterest before shaking my head. As much as I hate to admit it, the boy was getting better at our arguments. It was either that or I was losing my touch.

"You're just getting dumber, sis," he suddenly jeers before hopping up to his feet and disappearing behind the door to his room.

"The little imp," I grumble under my breath in irritation before yelling after him. "You better make sure that you wake up early for class tomorrow!"

Even with the closed door, I could hear his muffled sneer. "Shouldn't _you_ be the one worrying about that? You're worse than a bear in hibernation."

I grit my teeth.

"Although you don't need to worry about it, sis. _I'll _wake you up," he adds in mockery. Even with him on the other side of the door, I can just imagine him smirking impishly.

"I don't need you to do that!" I growl back in annoyance which only earned me a disbelieving "Yeah, sure. I believe you, sis."

The little demon was really trying to rile me up. For a moment, I contemplate on finding the key to his room just so I could give him a late night lesson or two about manners but just as I was about to scamper off to look for the keys, his voice pipes up again.

"By the way, dinner is on the table."

Sure enough, the sight of food greeted me as I turned my head towards the kitchen and I could not help but smile a little at the concern. Perhaps the little kid didn't need some lessons, after all.

"Oi, I know you're still behind that door. Leave me alone, will you? I may not see your face but just knowing that you're there gives me nightmares."

I could feel something in me snap. Dinner momentarily forgotten, I stalked off to look for the set of keys for the apartment vowing to myself that the boy was truly going to get more than an earful tonight for his lack of respect.

To hell with waking up early for school. Manners were more much important.

**● ****. , . ◦ εïз ◦' ' ' ●**

"Mmmm. Five more minutes," I groan out tiredly as I moved to put the alarm clock on snooze as fast as I could muster in my dazed state. However, the ringing persisted.

Muttering a few curses under my breath, I sat up to check what exactly was wrong with my alarm clock. Staring at it, I could see that it was only a quarter past 5 in the morning – 45 minutes too early for it to ring. Then a moment after, I realized that the sound, though familiar, did not come from my alarm clock.

It took me a few more seconds to realize that it was coming from my bag. Groaning, I wobbled towards it, displeased that I had to be woken up at such an ungodly hour.

"Hello," I greet in a tone of annoyance, trying to keep out most of the aggravation from my system despite the unwelcome wake up call once I finally managed to fish out my mobile phone from my bag and flipped it open without even bothering to look at the caller's name.

"Took you long enough. I almost thought that I'd have to start my fourth call," came the monotonous voice from the other side of the line.

"Hotaru?" I reply in surprise, my grip on the phone tightening a little. "You never call at this hour."

"I do. Although I've only done it a few times. This is my third, if I remember things correctly."

I could not help but roll my eyes and grin at that comment. Typical Hotaru. Only she would keep track of details like that.

"Anyway, what's up?" I ask, suddenly feeling perky despite having to wake up so early.

"I'll meet you for breakfast at 7. Be down by then."

"But I still have to cook breakfast for Youichi."

"I know. That's why I'm giving you more than an hour to prepare. You would have had exactly two hours had you picked up your phone as soon as it rang."

I grimace. "You, out of all people should know that I wouldn't pick it up that fast."

I could hear a vague 'hmph' from the other end of the line. "Of course I knew that. I already took the time for you to wake up into my calculations. Don't take my abilities lightly."

"Of course I'm not taking you lightly," I say with a grin and paused for a while before smiling brightly. "You don't know how much I missed you, Hotaru."

In response, she merely told me to go back to doing household chores but knowing her, she must have been smiling too.

Waking up to the sound of my best friend's voice truly brightened up my day. I almost forgot about all the unfortunate events that had transpired the previous night as I went out the bedroom to prepare breakfast for my younger brother.

**. , . ****εïз ****' ' '**

As Hotaru treated me to breakfast in a diner near our apartment complex, I blurted out to her a recount of everything that had happened the previous night.

As my defense, I did say that I _almost_ forgot about yesterday's instead of _completely_ forgetting it.

"People like him are the main reason why I swear off men," I finish angrily as I passionately stabbed the pancake with a fork and pushed it inside my mouth before chewing it with much vigor.

"Manners, Mikan," she merely commented nonchalantly without even looking at me as she brought out a jar of crab roe, opened it, took a spoonful and brought it into her mouth.

"Were you even listening to me?" I ask in a mixture of annoyance and dejection. "Also, isn't it too early for you to start eating that?" I continue as I point to her jar.

"It's never too early to eat crab," she says simply with a flourish of her spoon.

I sigh at that. "One of these days, you're going to get sick because of all that cholesterol intake."

She finally shut the jar of crab roe and turned to me. "Not if I eat in moderation."

"Crab roe for breakfast? That definitely doesn't sound like moderation to me," I say wryly, imagining myself living in the same kind of lifestyle as the woman before me.

"Anyway, I was listening to you," she said in a tone that clearly signified that our previous conversation about her diet was over. I merely sigh in response before shrugging. This wasn't the first time I called her on her daily food intake, after all.

"Didn't seem that way to me, Hotaru," I say with a pout. "You were too busy with your jar earlier. And to think that _you_ were the one who asked me out this time around."

"You make us sound like lesbians, you idiot," she chastised, causing me to grin slightly

"But I thought we were on a lovey-dovey date," I tease her, causing her to grin as well. It was barely visible but then, it wasn't often that Hotaru would allow such expressions to show on her face.

"Anyway, what's up? It's not everyday that you call me out of the blue like this," I continue before staring at the clock by the counter. It was already past 7:30 and that meant that I had less than 30 minutes to finish our conversation and rush to my first job for the day. I started to feel a bit uneasy as I tried to calculate in my mind how long it would take me to do just that. There's no way that I could allow myself to lose two jobs in less than 24 hours.

Hotaru seemed to notice my apprehension as she raised an eyebrow. "Relax, Mikan. You won't have to go to the grocery store today."

"Huh? What do you mean? Don't tell me that you're going to have me fired." I say in desperation, recounting the other moments wherein Hotaru did just that because she thought that the places I worked in were unsatisfactory. It was actually a wonder that she didn't interfere when I began working in bars. But then again maybe she just chose to not make a move because she knew that Tono-nii was almost always nearby whenever I began my night shifts. After all, she always did keep tabs on me.

"Not exactly," she says as she took out a piece of paper and handed it to me which I eyed suspiciously.

"This isn't a check, is it?" I ask in suspicion – this time remembering the various moments wherein she insisted to help me get the money by herself given that she had ample resources at her disposal and it wouldn't even scratch the amount of Imai family fortune if they had to take in two children under their wing. In turn, I always turned down her offers – telling her that it wasn't her responsibility to take care of me and my brother.

"Of course it isn't. Both of us know that doing so would only be a waste of precious time for us both," she says in her normal calm voice as she sipped the tea that just arrived.

In response, I raise an eyebrow at her but when she does not elaborate further, I stare back at the paper on the table, grabbed it, and then opened it to read its contents.

I read it a few times over and processed its contents before finally speaking.

"Personal maid?"

**● ****. , . ◦ εïз ◦' ' ' ●**

_PUBLISHED: April 23, 2012  
__TOTAL: 7,263 words  
EDITED: April 24, 2012_

_END NOTES:_

_An update after more than a year? I know you guys must think you're dreaming. I know I am. I mean, I know I promised that I'd see this through but I didn't expect myself to update now especially since the whole Gakuen Alice fandom lost its flair to me. After publishing my last Gakuen Alice story, I just gradually lost interest - not even bothering to keep myself updated with the manga. Although the loss in interest isn't the only thing that kept me from updating. I ended up floundering in the middle of the chapter. There's literally a one-year gap in between segments of this story (I'll give special attention to those who can tell where I got cut off). Moreover, the past year has been exhausting. College was exhausting. Depression was exhausting. Internet addiction was exhausting. I felt that I was screwing everything up and almost thought that I wouldn't graduate because I was cutting my classes like a hot knife on butter. _

_I won't really apologize to everyone for this utterly late update considering that a great number of my readership now is probably composed of new people although I will apologize to all of those who waited for this chapter to see the light. Moreover, I thank you for bearing with me amidst everything. I can't really promise that I won't disappear_ again._ However, rest assured that I will do my best to compensate for my disappearance._

_By the way, I took the liberty to change the title of this story into something that I like better!_

_Rem_

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_SIDENOTE:_

**TAKEN FROM (ELOOK . ORG) :  
-Review (noun): an essay or article that gives a critical evaluation (as of a book or play)**

Again, no. "Update soon" does not qualify as a review so please do save both of us the trouble. Thanks.


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